A corpora



warren srarss 1,501,442 PATENT OFFICE- \RTEIUR QR. IEAVEIIER, CE 'W'AYLAND, -MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO J'U DSON L.

THOIEEON MAN'UFACTUEEI IG (39., OF \VALTHAM, MASSACI IUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

norrne non FASTENERS.

Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial No. 103,924.

This invention relates to an improved hopper for separating fasteners and feeding them one by one down a race-way to be set in sheet material by a fastener setting machine.

larly adaptedto be used with fasteners having'an annular head with a plurality of prongs thereon, and especially fasteners having an odd number of prongs.

The invention consists in a hopper of the character set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation partly broken away illustrating my improved hopper.

Fig. 2is a sectional elevation taken on the line 22,. Figure 1..

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is aside elevation of one of the fasteners positioned on a portion of the rotary member of the hopper.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional plan taken on the line 55' of F ig. 4t and viewed in'the direction of the arrow thereon.

Like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 6 is the hopper. 7 is a hollow rotary member forming a portion of said hopper, whichis open'at one end 8 and is provided with passages 9 leading from the interior 10 of the rotary member to the periphery 11 thereof. Each of these passages is adapted to receive one fasten- The fastener 12 consists of an annularv a head 13 provided with a plurality of prongs let. The opposite sides 15 of each passage 9 are parallel to each other and to a partition 16, the partition being radial with re lation to the center of the rotary member 7. The longitudinal median plane A-A of each of said partitions being positioned parallel to and at one side of the longitudinal median plane BB of its respective passage 9. The object of positioning the median plane AA at one side of the median plane B-B is so that fasteners having an odd number of prongs, seven for example, may be fed through the passages 9 as illustrated particularly it Fig. 5, wherein the parti= The hopper of this invention is particu-' tion 16 is shown positioned between twopairs of adjacent prongs 14. It is evident tions illustrated in Fig. 5 could not feed through the passage 9.

The rotary member 7 of the hopper is.

rotatably mounted upon a stud 17 which is fastened to a cover 18 and the member 7.f is rotated by means of a pulley 19 formed thereon and by a belt 20. The cover 18 extends across the open end ofthe rotarymember 7 and is spaced apart. therefrom-at 21' a distanceapproXim-ately equal to thethickness of the annular heads 13' of the fasteners 12, and said cover is provided witha recessed portion. 22 into which the open end of the rotary member projects.

I The cover 18 embodies a raceway 23 which isprovided with a passage way 24 for said fasteners. On'ewall 25 of said passageway terminates at a point 26 adjacent the periphery'of the rotary member, and the other wall 27 extends at its upper end in acurve; 28' concentric with the rotary member,

spaced apart therefrom, and in the general.

direction of rotation of said rotary member. The raceway'23 of the IQCGSSGd'lDOltlOII- '22 projects beneath the outer edge of the rotary member 7 and is adapted to support the fasteners as they are carried around to. the raceway 23 by the rotary member: 7.. The passageway 24 terminates at its intersection with the wall 25 of the raceway and at the other end thereof it merges into.-

a chute 29 through. which they fasteners are introduced into the interior 1.9 ofithe rotary 7 member 7 The general operationof the hopper isas follows :The fasteners are introduced into this wall until they arrive at the passageway v .24. in the raceway 23, whereupon they pass out of the passages 9 and into the passageway 24, down which they slide to the driving instrumentalities of a fastener set ting machine.

I claim:

1. A hopper for feeding fasteners each having a head and an odd number of prongs having, in combination, a hollow rotary member open at one end and provided with passages leading from the interior to the periphery thereof, each of which is adapted to receive the prongs of one of said fasteners, a partition in each of said passages, its longitudinal median plane being positioned at one side of the longitudinal median plane of the passage, a cover extending across said rotary member, spaced apart therefrom and embodying a raceway provided with a passageway for said fasteners, one wall of which terminates at a point adjacent the periphery of said rotary member and the other wall of which is spaced apart therefrom and extends along outside said rotary member in the direction of rotation thereof, and a guide located beneath said rotary member and adapted to support said fasteners as they are carried to the raceway by said rotary member.

2. A hopper for feeding fasteners each having a head and an odd number of prongs having, in combination, a hollow rotary member open at one end and'provided with passa es leading from the interior to the' periphery thereof, each of which is adapted to receive the prongs of one of said fasteners,'a radial partition in each of said passages, its longitudinal median plane being positioned at one side of the longitudinal median plane of the passage, the opposide sides of each passage being parallel to its respec tlve partition, a cover extending across said rotary member, spaced apart therefrom and embodying a raceway provided with a passageway for said fasteners, one wall of which terminates at a point adjacent the periphery of said rotary member and the other wall of which is spaced apart therefrom and extends along outside said rotary member in the direction of rotation thereof, and a guide located beneath said rotary member and adapted to support said fasteners as they are carried to the raceway by said rotary member.

3. A hopper for feeding fasteners each having a head and an odd number of prongs having, in combination, a hollow rotary member open at one end and provlded with passages leading from the interior to the periphery thereof, each of which is adapted to receive the prongs of one of said fasteners, a partition in each of said pas ages, its longitudinal median plane being positioned at one side of the longitudinal median plane of the passage, and a cover extending across said rotary member, spaced apart therefrom and provided with a recessed portlon into which the open end of said rotary member projects and embodying a raceway for said fasteners, one wall of which terminates at a point adjacent the periphery of said rotary member, the other wall of which, at its upper end, intersects the lower end of a portion of the wall of said cover which extends along outside said rotary member in the direction of rotation thereof and is spaced apart therefrom a distance not less than the diameter of the head of one of said fasteners, the remainder of the wall of said recess intersecting at its lower end the first-named wall of said raceway and constituting a support and guide for said fasteners as they are carried to the raceway by said rotary member. 7

4. A hopper for fasteners each having a head and a plurality of prongs having, in combination, a hollow rotary member open at one end and provided with passages leading from the interior to the periphery there of, each of which is adapted to receive the prongs of one of said fasteners, a partition in each of said passages extending longitudinally thereof, a cover extending across said rotary member, spaced apart therefrom and embodying a raceway provided with a passageway for said fasteners, one wall of which terminates at a point adjacent the periphery of said rotary member, and the other wall of whichis spaced apartthereof and extends along outside said rotary member in the direction of rotation thereof, and a guide located beneath said rotary member and adapted to support said fasteners as they are carried to the raceway by the rotary member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR 11,. savanna, 

